Rob Waller & His Very Best Friends at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 6-19-24 Concert Review

Rob Waller And His Very Best Friends, "Ohio"

Last night Rob Waller, Paul Marshall and Victoria Jacobs of I See Hawks In L.A., along with Dan Wistrom on guitar and pedal steel, put on an absolutely wonderful show at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. It was the second time that Rob, Paul and Victoria had played together since that special concert at McCabe’s celebrating the life and music of Paul Lacques. The first was at a wedding that had been booked months earlier, and Dan Wistrom had sat in on that show as well. Dan was basically filling the role that Paul Lacques played, as he did in April with Kip Boardman at The Mayan Bar & Grill. Big shoes to fill, to be sure, but Dan Wistrom is a talented player who seems able to handle anything someone might throw at him. He’s the right guy for the job, in part because he doesn’t try to recreate Paul Lacques’ work, but rather understands the spirit of it. The show last night was not billed as a Hawks show – not in the emails or the flyer – and the guys seemed careful to avoid doing so, which is understandable. But it was so good see these musicians play together, and also so good to hear these songs again, songs which have been an important part of our lives and continue to mean so much. It would be a shame for these songs to cease being played, whatever they decide to call themselves as a group.

"Raised By Hippies"

Rick Shea & The Losin’ End opened the show, taking the stage at 8:42 p.m. Dan Wistrom played electric guitar and pedal steel for this set too. It was an excellent set, and I will post some photos from it separately. It was 9:59 p.m. when Rob Waller and friends were ready. “Hey there, I’m Rob Waller,” Rob said. “And these are my Very Best Friends.” And with that, these musicians went right into the music, opening the set with “Raised By Hippies,” a song from the band’s California Country album. And almost immediately it was clear that the magic was there, and for that I was thankful. But it wasn’t just that. The joy was also there, and that was perhaps even more moving. Dan Wistrom played electric guitar on that first song, and provided some backing vocals. Before they started the second number of the set, “Poour Me,” Dan asked Rob, “Should I do it on the steel?” Rob’s response was, “Up to you.” And it was in that moment that I was certain this was going to work perfectly and that it was going to be a fantastic night. Dan chose pedal steel, by the way, and delivered some really nice work. And when Victoria was smiling at what Dan was doing, everything felt good. Everything was good.

"My Parka Saved Me"

“Poour Me” comes from the Hawks’ Live And Never Learn album, and it was followed last night by that album’s title track, which found Dan back on electric guitar. “I try so hard to do what’s right,” Rob sings in this one. Well, this was it. Things felt right again. They followed that with “Ohio,” a newer song, one that was not included on a studio release. Dan Wistrom put his own mark on it during his lead on electric guitar, perhaps feeling even more freedom on this one since there wasn’t a studio recording to think back to. Victoria then sang lead on “My Parka Saved Me,” another song from Live And Never Learn, one that is a total delight, and really exemplified the joy of the evening. “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet,” a song that was included on Shoulda Been Gold, followed. There was a really good vibe about that song. Paul Marshall then sang lead on “Drinker’s Hall Of Fame,” a wonderful country number that featured Dan on pedal steel. Dan stayed on pedal steel for a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Me And Paul,” and, as you might imagine, this song carried with it a particular spirit. “That was for Paul Lacques,” Rob said afterward.

"Long Black Veil"

“Sometimes I wish for a simpler time, when you could drink right out of the stream,” Rob Waller sings in “California Country.” I think we all feel that way from time to time, perhaps even more so these days, and the Hawks’ music often evokes just that sort of time. It makes us feel, at least for the length of a song, that we do live in such a time, or that such a thing is possible again. I think that is part of the band’s appeal. “California Country” was followed by “White Cross,” another song that was included on Live And Never Learn. Dan Wistrom delivered some good stuff on guitar, leading Rob to tell him to keep going during his lead. Then from Hallowed Ground, they played “Carbon Dated Love,” which includes the line “Our love will never end,” something those in the audience were happy to hear. Dan switched to pedal steel for “Still Want You,” a sweet country love song from Grapevine. “I still want you/To hold me in your arms.” The crowd was singing along, and not just on this song. There was a joy in adding our voices, and perhaps also a need. Paul Marshall sang lead on a great cover of “Long Black Veil,” and the band followed that with “Humboldt,” which got the crowd dancing. That song featured a nice jam, just like we’d hoped. And the group concluded the set with a song I had requested, “If You Lead I Will Follow,” which is from New Kind Of Lonely. It’s a beautiful song that often gets in my head, and it was a great way to wrap things up. “If you lead I will follow/You give me comfort from the world/When my heart is feeling hollow/You fill it up with your diamonds and pearls.” The show ended at 11:20 p.m.

Set List

1. Raised By Hippies
2. Poour Me
3. Live And Never Learn
4. Ohio
5. My Parka Saved Me
6. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet
7. Drinker’s Hall Of Fame
8. Me And Paul
9. California Country
10. White Cross
11. Carbon Dated Love
12. Still Want You
13. Long Black Veil
14. Humboldt
15. If You Lead I Will Follow

Here are a few more photos:

"Raised By Hippies"

"Poour Me"

"Live And Never Learn"

"My Parka Saved Me"

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Venture Blvd. in Tarzana, California.